Creatures of the Night
by IbbyIsHere
Summary: A story told from the view of the king of creepypasta - the one, the only, Slenderman! Follow him as he gathers an unlikely team of beings to (guess what!) save humanity from the apocalypse!
1. Prologue

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own. **

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**If you are wondering why instead of "Prologue" I have "0.9", it is because this style is convenient for me. Also, if a chapter contains more than one p.o.v., I will upload each p.o.v. separately, marking them with a number depending on how many p.o.v.s there are.**

**I hope you enjoy the story. Thank you.**

0.9 _**Slenderman**_

Hello, reader. No doubt you are a human. Nearly all readers of our exploits are. It is simply the way of things.

Oh, and I have yet to introduce myself. At this point you might be slightly confused as to the "our" I am referring to. I assure you, though, that once I give my name your confusion will clear up.

Over the centuries, you humans have called me many names, but the most contemporary one is this: Slenderman.

Yes, I am Slenderman. The one who stalks you in your sleep. The one who drives you insane. And now, the one who seeks to save your world from utter destruction.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Allow me, dear reader, to break down everything for you.

The world of monsters, or, as you humans call it, "creepypasta," is real. It exists. Occasionally, the monsters in said world are able to slip through the veil and travel to _your_ world, usually as nightmares. You may not believe it but travelling across veils is rather exhausting, even for someone such as myself. Creepypasta, too, are not necessarily "original" – as we slip through into minds, sometimes instead of nightmares we come as ideas, and stay as ideas. These then get written down as stories, thus spreading our legacy across the Internet. Indeed, Eric Knudson may think that I was his brainchild, when in truth I had always existed.

The same goes for all of the other citizens of our dark and twisted world – Jeff the Killer, Laughing Jack, Ticci Toby… All of them. We all exist within our world, tormenting the mindless human recreations there, eking out a life of terror and gore.

But, dear reader, not all are satisfied with this. Some wish to go to your world, to completely dominate the realms and bathe everything in their own sinister shadow. You may be wondering, now, why I, Slenderman, the first character of creepypasta, would oppose this. Why, indeed? Well, dear reader, continue with me, and I shall tell you.


	2. Chapter 1

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own. **

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

1 _**Slenderman**_

Echoes of voices swirled around me, but I paid no attention to them. I never did, here in my asylum.

During the first years of my banishment to the creepypasta world, I had been angry, hurt, lonely. Though I was equipped with my ability to teleport, I could not return to my home world, for I had been banished – wrongfully, in my opinion, but I shall get into that later; for now, allow me to describe my asylum, my refuge.

It was during one of my many futile attempts to return home that I slipped into a pocket universe of…nothing. Oh, I was well aware of myself, but at first nothing could be heard, seen, felt – nothing. Others might have been overwhelmed by the utter desensitization, but not I. The peaceful silence was comforting. So, when feasting on the memories of children—yes, that is what I do, I do not outright kill them—could not keep the gnawing homesickness at bay, I would retreat here and meditate for as long as I needed. Now, curiously enough, time does not exist in my asylum. This meant that I could stay here for what seemed like days, yet return less than a minute after I had left. Or, with practice, many years after. For a creature that existed on a higher plane that what most humans could deal with, it was the perfect home away from home.

Now, reader, you are probably curious as to why I was banished from my home. Indeed, you might be surprised that I am not from the creepypasta world.

My world was one similar to my asylum – there was no need of sound, and we had no need to feed on any material substance. Instead, using our mental link, my fellow specimen and I fed off of memories. And, as memories are constant, we never went hungry. We were an open society, a loving society. Though we were all equal, by and large I was one of the higher-ranking entities. But that all changed when an unknown race arrived. Even now, to this day, I do not know their name. I do know, though, that they are the reason for my banishment.

The day that race arrived was the end of the beginning. Their thoughts were nothing but blood and gore. Awful images assaulted our minds. Our children's minds were scarred; all we could do was attempt to take the brunt of the attacks from the young ones. I hated it, all of it.

And then, a message: If we gave up our leaders, our planet would be spared. I convinced the others of high standing that we should sacrifice ourselves for our fellow beings, and with all bar a handful, we had set off.

Perhaps, if I had not been so hasty in my efforts to win peace for my home, I would have not been cast out and banished. My people survived, and eventually repelled the invaders, but the damage had been done. Without sufficient leaders, my people were lost, and the only one they could blame was me.

Even now, my heart aches at the thought of returning home, of being connected again, but it is a dull ache, the one found in those who know what they seek will never be theirs.

And still the whispers swirled around me. How odd.

I tilted my head slightly, thinking. The voices had surfaced a bit after I'd found my asylum, but for all my straining they seemed to be nothing more than nonsensical gibberish, the sounds of people making noises, but not words. Many times I was able to block them out, but not now.

My curiosity growing with the seconds, I strained my hearing to catch what they were saying.

_"…chaos will ensue…"_

_"….smiles….evil, hungry smiles…."_

_"….blood everywhere…."_

_"….crossing the veil…breaking the laws…"_

_"…don't let them go…death to all…"_

_"….Tick tock goes the clock…"_

_**"…You're running out of time, Slenderman…"**_

In an instant, I was standing in a decrepit building, my tentacles poised to strike, my entire body, my senses, alert for danger. Coursing through me was a feeling I hadn't felt since my banishment, and I struggled to place the name of the emotion.

_Fear._


	3. Chapter 2

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own. **

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

2 _**Slenderman**_

It appeared that the voices had triggered my defense mechanism – an odd reaction, this. Rarely did I instinctively teleport elsewhere, and it was even rarer that I was startled into issuing such an aggressive response.

The room I was in looked as if it had been abandoned for decades – which, of course, it had. Trash was shoved into one side of the room, and broken furniture was arranged in a half-hearted attempt to make the place more…"homey". There was further evidence of habitation, too. An old couch and a La-Z-Boy chair each had blankets piled upon them.

A sudden sound issued forth from the doorway, and I turned to face it, ready to strike at whatever danger happened to be there. Instead of an enemy, though, two teenaged boys stood, one masked, and one with a hood. My two proxies. I believe you know them as "Masky" and "Hoody". Their preferred names, though, were Impassive and Solitude. Do not ask me why they chose these names; even with my long presence among your kind, humans have always found ways to bemuse me. Perhaps they wished to live up to these words – I had never asked.

As always, Impassive showed no reaction, simply standing there with his mask. Solitude, though, was clearly surprised by my attitude. Quickly, I retracted my extra limbs and relaxed. There were only friends here.

"What's wrong?" asked Solitude. Of the two, he was the one who had stayed with me the longest, after I had made an error of judgment. That, however, is not important to you, reader.

_"It is nothing to worry about," _I hissed in response. Most human languages were difficult for me to speak, so instead I switched to my native tongue. With practice, both of my proxies had come to understand me fluently. _"Have you done a patrol of the premises?"_

Impassive nodded while Solitude filled me in. "Yeah, no one's tried to get in. 'Course, don't see why they would – this is just an empty building as far as the humans are concerned."

I nodded slowly, hissing my consent._ "Good. I need to go hunting tonight, to restore my energy." _

Solitude tilted his head but said nothing. I picked up on his confusion. _"What is wrong?"_

"Well, nothing, but… you just ate, Slender. Like, less than a week ago. Are you sure everything is fine?"

I stared down at him, deliberating. _"No. I am not sure. But I still need to feast. What time is it now?"_

He took out an old pocket watch he'd acquired some time ago. I never asked where he'd gotten it, and he never told me. "It's about 7:30 at night, boss. In another few minutes the sun will be setting."

I nodded. _"Then I shall leave. My proxies, keep watch over the building until I have returned. I should not be long."_

"That's what we always do," Impassive mumbled under his breath. I pretended not to hear him, choosing to focus on more important matters.

I brushed past them before teleporting outdoors. The sounds of the surroundings assaulted my hearing, but I quickly grew used to it. I flitted through the city scene, going from district to district. It was dark when I finally stopped in a subdivision. The houses were neat, orderly; the lawns were neatly organized, and the trees and bushes were trimmed. Nowhere was there a speck of unwanted filth. Which made this particular target all the more interesting, if not unsurprising.

As you may recall, dear reader, I do not eat the children themselves – rather, I eat their memories. When I was first exiled here, I did not discriminate amongst the humans; man, woman, adult, child, you were all the same to me. Eventually, though, I figured out that the memories of children were the best for me. You may be disgusted, reader, but think on this: the memories of the adults were full of hate, greed, anger, while the children were too young to know of such things. Would you rather I had stayed full of hate? Or allow the children's experiences soften my temperament?

I then narrowed my search down further, as the hate inside was tampered. Now, I only seek out those whose sorrow and fear I can sense.

Like the child inside this house.

Based on the type of fear, I guessed that this child suffered from physical abuse – beatings, mostly. I leaned forward slightly, watching the child and his parents through the window. The pure ignorance humans have about those of their own who are well-to-do is shameful. One would think they would be mindful of what their own offspring must endure at the hands of their parents, but I digress.

I waited in the shadows, waiting for the child's parents to leave. Once they did, I stepped out, and, in the darkness, I stretched out one tentacle to tap the window pane gently. Pausing, I cocked my head, listening for the telltale signs that the boy had heard me. When a few minutes had passed, I tapped his window again before retracting the appendage. This time, I got a response.

The moon came out from behind a cloud, and in the pale light I saw his face, looking for the cause of the noise. Shifting slightly, making myself a little bigger, I made it so that it was easy to see me. His eyes locked onto my face, and I tilted my head in a curious manner before beckoning in a way I hoped was friendly. The boy's curious nature had been piqued, and I waited patiently as he made his way outside. I moved to his front door as he opened it.

The boy had little fear; instead, his eyes were hollow with defeat. It was clear this child had been through a lot. I looked forward to this particular feast.

I stooped down and invitingly held out my hand for him to take. The boy stared at it for a moment before grasping it weakly. I could tell he still wasn't sure about following me, so in a soft voice I hissed in English, "Friend. Come."

The child hesitated, so I tried again. "Fun. Have fun. Come." This strategy worked better, and I felt the grip on my hand tighten. Grasping his other arm, I teleported us to an empty field. The fireflies danced in intricate movements, and the crickets chirped in peaceful harmony. I cocked my head again as the boy looked around in wonder. I could see his face light up as he soaked in the serenity, and I let him relax for a moment. But I did not let go.

Instead, I leaned in and tapped his mind. I felt his body grow rigid before slumping. My hunger growing, I shifted through his memories, only feeding on the bad ones.

I often transported my victims here, so that their last memory might be pleasant. I feasted on the fear and confusion the child had suffered, eventually going so far as to make him forget his family. He would not be returning to them, anyway.

My hunger slaked, I put the boy in a deep slumber before transporting him to the steps of a secluded house. The people here often received my prey, and no doubt would be unsurprised to see yet another child on their doorstep. An elderly couple, they were one of the few good humans I could trust to take care of their own kind. As a last touch, I eradicated any memory of me as well; it would be no good to have him remember me. Taking one last look at the latest victim, I teleported back to the building where my proxies awaited. The voices troubled me deeply, and I needed to make a visit to an acquaintance.


	4. Chapter 3 Part 1

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own. **

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

3 **_ Dr. Smiley_**

"Now, now, I am trying to help you," I said gently. I smiled peacefully down at the woman who was struggling against the straps on the operating table. This one had clearly been poisoning her liver with alcohol, so when I encountered her I did what any other gentleman of my profession would do. I befriended her and assured her I would make her problem go away – after all, what better way to stop an addiction and the painful events that go with it than by embracing death early on?

But still she struggled. I tutted softly. Could she not see I was trying to help her? Baring my sharpened teeth in what I hoped was a friendly smile, I cut open her abdomen with surgical precision. I was keen to see what a damaged liver looked like while it was still functioning.

With an air of professionalism, I extracted the other organs in the cavity, leaving only the liver behind. The woman squirmed in pain, which elicited a slight chuckle from me. But…something was missing. I frowned suddenly, disillusioned with this particular surgery.

Suddenly I picked up on a soft ticking sound, and I twisted around to see a lone green eye glowing in the shadows. I gave a welcoming grin. "Ah, Clockwork, there you are! I was wondering when you would return from your…ah…_walk._" I ignored the bloodstains on her clothes and turned back to my victim, who was barely twitching. I sighed. "Clockwork, would you like to finish this surgery? I've grown bored of it."

The teenager giggled insanely. "Naturally. Her time's run out, anyway." I offered the scalpel to her, and she took it with glee. Giving the woman (who had renewed her efforts upon noticing Clockwork) a wild smile, she plunged the tool into her heart. The woman gave a gurgling sigh before slumping, all life gone. Slowly, my acquaintance withdrew the knife and licked the blood off.

"Careful," I warned. "You might cut your tongue." I set about putting away the rest of my tools. I examined the body briefly, before shaking my head. There would be no souvenir from this surgery.

Behind me, I heard the squeak of the couch springs as Clockwork sat down. "Everything is falling into place, Doctor. Soon we can recruit other characters to our cause."

Finishing my task, I smiled at the girl and sat down next to her. "Good, good. Do you have anyone specific you want to start with?"

She tilted her head, thinking. The clock in her socket reflected the light from the few fixtures I had in my home. "What about Slenderman? With him at our side we would have no trouble with completing everything."

I frowned. "True, but he is old-fashioned – he will not see the light so easily. We must first gather other reputable beings, to show him that we are serious. Then he will join."

The girl gave a delicate sigh. "Fine. But we are running out of time." She tapped her cheek before her eye lit up with another idea. "Oh! What about Seedeater? It would be simple to draw him out and recruit him. We both know he's been getting hungrier…"

I nodded, happy with her choice. "Yes, he would be an excellent first recruit. Would you like to get the bait, or shall I?"

Clockwork withdrew her two knives, examining them. "I will. It's so much fun…I love the thrill of it."

"Very well. I will get rid of this body, then, while I await your return." The girl got up, her clock-eye ticking softly, her green eye flashing with rabid excitement, and disappeared into the shadows. I watched as she walked away. Ah, youth. Always refreshing to see someone so young as enthralled with death as I was, though Clockwork tended to be a bit…unrefined. Oh well. It was a slight drawback that did not bother me greatly. Getting up, I set about clearing away the carcass, humming a song as I worked. They don't call me Dr. Smiley for nothing, after all.


	5. Chapter 3 Part 2

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own. **

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**_Slenderman_**

Impassive and I waited, hidden in the shadows of the alley, while Solitude wandered around aimlessly. The person – or rather, _creature_ – we were here to see was a difficult being to find, so we set Solitude to the task of being bait. He had protested at first, but I explained that of the three, he was the one most likely to attract our friend's attention.

My tentacles roiled in anticipation. After returning home, I had shared what the voices said with my two companions. We deliberated over their meaning, before Impassive suggested that the voices might have been talking about a girl named Clockwork, who had killed her family before replacing her eye with a pocket watch. I myself had never heard of this girl, but my two proxies were familiar with her work. Nonetheless, we did not know where she was, nor where her hideout was located, so we settled for visiting someone who might know where to look: Ickbarr Bigelsteine.

Impassive straightened up, staring ahead. "Movement ahead, boss." I turned and watched as a harassed-looking man rounded the corner of the deserted street. He locked sights onto Solitude, who had no doubt noticed the man, though if he did he hid it well. In any case, I hissed softly to him. _"Be careful. He is coming."_

The man hurried over to Solitude. "Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?" Solitude looked up and gave a phony smile, being sure to show off most of his teeth as planned.

"Of course. It's time for you to take us to your friend."

The man paused, looking at him curiously. "I…what? Um, what friend?"

Solitude took a step closer. "The one you collect teeth for." The man's eyes were flicking everywhere now. He was visibly shaking, clearly nervous. Before he could escape, though, I reared up behind him silently. So scared was the man, though, that he didn't notice.

"Who—who are you?"

I wrapped several tentacles around the man, including one over his mouth. He struggled fiercely, which only elicited a tightening of my grip. "Friends…" I rasped. I nodded at Solitude, who elaborated.

"See, my boss and I want you to take us to Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Don't worry, we don't want to hurt him; we just think he might have some information that we could use." I sighed internally at Solitude's explanation. Even to me, it sounded threatening.

Despite this, though, the gentleman in my grip ceased his struggling. Giving us a wary look, he said, "I'll lead you to Ickbarr, but if you want anything from him you're going to have to, ah, give him something in return."

I set him down gently, pleased with his response. I gestured at Impassive with my head, and he withdrew two small plastic bags of teeth. "Fresh from The Harvester."

He tossed one of them to the man, who clutched it to himself as if it was his newborn. "The Harvester?" he asked. "I'm not familiar with them. I… don't really have many opportunities to pursue a social life."

This time, Solitude took over again. "He's an entity that hunts down humans and harvests them for various purposes. A real businessman. He's got everything from bones to meat (raw, of course – if you want to cook it you gotta do it on your own time) to, er, secretions." He nodded at the bag. "These are a mix of teeth from a variety of ages, male and female."

Ickbarr's proxy looked up suddenly from where he was examining the specimens. "Are there…. Are there children's teeth, too?"

Solitude wrinkled his nose in disgust, and even Impassive looked taken aback a bit. I, however, retained my composure; unfortunately, I had come across many creatures with a taste for children (including myself at one point, if you recall) that it no longer affected me. Even so, it's considered bad manners to consume children – for most of us, our quarrel is with adults. "God, no, they're all adults. Why, does Ickbarr have a preference for children's teeth?"

The man looked relieved. "No, no, he doesn't. Uh, come on. He's expecting me."

Together, we traversed through the city night, ducking as many humans as possible. Thankfully, it did not take very long to arrive at our destination. We walked into his room, where a pair of glowing white eyes and a smile awaited us in the dark. "Henry," a voice whispered, "How much do you love me?"

Henry held out the bag of teeth before throwing it onto the bed. "More than anything, Ickbarr. More than anything." He then proceeded to flip on the light. It was evident to me that these two had gone through this process many, many times. "I have some people who want to meet with you, Ickbarr. They say they're friends."

The creature, a peculiar-looking doll, scurried to the bed. "I noticed. But everything comes with a price…"

Henry nodded. "I know. I informed them. They're responsible for those teeth there; they also have their own bag to contribute." In front of Ickbarr, the man looked even more cowed than before. I felt pity for the pathetic human, and wondered if my own proxies felt that way. _No, I would have noticed before._

Impassive tossed our bag to Ickbarr. "We're looking for some information." He and Solitude looked at me to continue.

I had been thinking hard on what to ask, and now I leaned slightly forward. _"Ickbarr is very familiar with the whispers and the beings of this realm. Have the shadow creatures of his heard anything about one of our own making plans to breach the veil?"_

Solitude translated for me. Ickbarr swallowed some of the teeth, chewing thoughtfully. "What delightful teeth. You surely need to tell me your supplier."

"Trade secret, sorry," my proxy said wryly. "Now, what about our question?"

"Ah, yes." The creature shook his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

_"__What about anything on Dr. Smiley? Or Clockwork? Any news on them?"_

Ickbarr's eyes gleamed wickedly. "Now, funny that you should mention them. I _have_ been hearing whispers of those two hanging out quite a bit. Could be nothing more than…ah…a _romantic_ pursuit, but knowing those two, it certainly makes one's ears perk up." He leaned forward, almost hungrily. "That's all the questions for today. But since these are such exquisite teeth, I'll throw in some advice for ya, Slendy, free of charge: If there's ever been a time to gather your allies about you, now would be the time. Something's definitely brewing, even if now it's not that clear." The creature waved a dismissive hand at Henry, who jumped to attention. "Show our friends the door."

"Right this way, please," Henry mumbled. We followed in silence, all three of us clearly puzzling over the foreshadowing advice from Ickbarr.


	6. Chapter 4 Part 1

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own. **

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

_**If you have made it this far, I would like to thank you for bearing with my story. **_

_**Please, feel free to leave any comments, along with any suggestions as to what should happen next.**_

_**- Ibby**_

4 **_Jane_**

I walked around slowly in the house, trying not to disturb anything. It was, after all, a crime scene. And the last thing I needed was the police trying to catch me.

I squatted down next to the tape outlining where one of the bodies had been found. According to the news report I had glimpsed, the officials suspected that my old nemesis had been responsible. There was, after all, a gaping hole in the chests and a smile carved on the victims' faces. I had come here in the dead of night, after the police had finished, to pick up Jeff's trail. But something didn't look right.

Carefully, I clambered onto the side of the sofa so that I could look down on everything. I had long ago traded the black dress for a pair of black jeans, as they were much more realistic. Once in my lofty position, I scanned the blood spatter and quickly realized why I wasn't convinced it was Jeff. The blotches on the carpet were too messy, as if someone was trying too hard to make it look random. An even closer look revealed a sloppy arrow pointing to the side table across from me.

Stepping down, I made my way over to the table, pulling open the drawer. Inside was a single piece of folded computer paper. Pushing my bemusement aside as to how the police could have missed this, I picked it up and unfolded it. Inside was a simple note –

**_Jane,_**

**_If you couldn't already tell, Jeff wasn't responsible for this. But don't worry; these people weren't nice to begin with. _**

**_Meet us at 3am tonight, by the old shoe factory. Everything will be explained then. _**

**_P.S. We're friends. We won't turn you in, we just want to talk. We think you might find it to be good for you._**

I turned the note over in my hands, but I couldn't find a signature or any clue as to who had left it. I reread it several times, but could only get a few details from it: a) whoever wrote this obviously didn't take high-level English, b) based on the "we", there's more than one person at work, c) they were the ones responsible for the deaths here, and as such made them just as bad as Jeff, if not worse, and d) they wanted to meet with me. Tonight. I looked at the clock on the wall, deliberating. I had about an hour and a half before it was 3am, but I didn't know where the shoe factory was. I was also curious to meet the perpetrators of this double homicide, in order to bring them to justice if nothing else.

Letting out a sigh, I shoved the note into my pocket and searched the house for a computer. One of the few good things to come of my encounter with Jeff – even if I didn't wear gloves, I would leave no prints behind for the police. Any fingerprints would have been burned by the fire. A shudder of anger tore down my spine, and I quickly shut down the memory. I needed that fuel for later. Now, however, I needed to find where the factory was.

Eventually, I found a desktop in what I assumed was the office. Pulling out the chair, I sat down and woke it up. To my surprise, there was not password required – either the owners were completely innocent (in which my complete wrath would rain down upon the perps) or they were completely confident in their ability to hide from the police (in which case, I would look a bit more favorable on the killers. Maybe).

I opened the web browser and began my search for an address. Within minutes, I managed to find not only the address but directions, too. Printing off everything I needed, I made a hasty retreat and began to head towards my meeting.


	7. Chapter 4 Part 2

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own.**

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome.**

_**Slenderman**_

Hundreds of nights spent watching. Countless hours, stalking. Formulating plans that were weeks, nay, months into the making.

And yet, my two human proxies still could not handle half an hour worth's of waiting. You humans are so..._frustrating_ when it comes to certain qualities. Oh, you can kill, and kill well. But when it comes to patience? Hundreds of years on this planet and I have yet to meet one of you humans who can handle a little bit of waiting.

Impassive leaned against the brick wall, flicking his pocket knife open and shut. Solitude, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth, out of the light and into the light. Yours truly, however, waited in the shadows like a whisper in the night.

We three awaited the arrival of Ms. Everlasting at the shoe factory specified. I had sent Solitude to do research on any buildings that would meet our needs, while Impassive and I set about our task of laying a trap for our quarry. It was not difficult choosing who to kill; Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks were the most despicable humans I had ever had the misfortune of happening on - and that, my dear reader, is quite the accomplishment.

Solitude had later confirmed that our note had been, well, noted, and so here we waited.

My hooded proxies threw up his hands with impatience. "Boss, she's not gonna show. It's already ten til and we ain't seen anything. And I swear -" He jabbed a finger at Impassive, who simply glanced at him. "I swear if I have to keep listening to his stupid knife I'm going to _murder_ him. With his knife."

I reared up, hissing. "_You would do well to control your impatience._" A sudden noise caught my attention, and I signalled for my two companions to remain silent. Tilting my head, I strained to hear what it was.

At first, there was nothing. Then, faint as a sigh, there came a pitter-patter of soft footsteps - the steps of someone skilled at hiding. I nodded at my proxies, who assumed their positions while I slipped away into the shadows. We waited with baited breath.

Finally, the person rounded the corner. I perceived my two companions slumping with disappointment even as I felt it myself. It was a mere human female, a woman in her late teens, maybe even as old as my proxies. She passed by without so much as a glance. Even so, I watched her. Something was...off, about this young woman. As she turned the corner of the building, I saw a flash of white where her face was situated, and then she was gone.

I turned back towards Solitude and Impassive, deeply troubled. It was becoming a familiar feeling, this.

Before I could speak to my proxies about my concerns, a voice, rasping slightly, called out from behind. "Wow. I certainly wasn't expecting the king of the creepypasta to be here."

I whirled around, tentacles raised in attack position, my two human companions ready at a signal to fight. There, in the middle of the road, stood Jane Everlasting. The sworn enemy of Jeff the Killer, and the only killer I knew who regretted her actions.

She stood there in her traditional black, though she'd swapped out the dress for more practical attire. Her feminine mask gave her a deceptively delicate manner. The blade of her knife, holstered in her belt, glinted in the moonlight. Somehow she had managed to come back from the corner and walk closer to us. Arms crossed, Jane said, "Oh Captain, my Captain, you killed two people to catch my attention. You know how I feel about murders, Slendy."

Her voice practically dripped with sarcasm and distaste; under her mask it was easy to imagine a smirk placed upon her lips.

I hissed a response, and Solitude translated in his usual manner. "Trust me, missy, the world was better off without those folks. In any case, we got a proposal for you, if you're interested."

Jane laughed. It was a harsh and bitter sound, devoid of any humor. Obviously this human had been through a lot. "Why, pray tell, would _I_ join the likes of _you_?"

"You're one of us, whether you like it or not." This response came from Impassive, who had remained silent ever since I had first returned from my asylum. "Ever noticed how you don't age? How people tend to avoid you? It's because you're not one of them, not anymore."

A note, dear reader, on us beings from the creepypasta world. Even though monsters exist here, there is still a line. Once a human crosses that line, they become integrated into the dark side of the creepypasta world and can never go back. All of us monsters have some sort of immortality, and as such it is near-impossible for the normal humans to kill us. Look at Clockwork, for instance, or Eyeless Jack. They should have been killed, but once they crossed that threshold, it was no longer possible. There are, however, rumours that there is a way for us to die, but I digress.

Jane's body language changed from defiance to hostility, while Solitude and I looked at Impassive in surprise. This was the most he had ever spoken in one period. "At least I _have_ a conscience. Which is more than can be said for _you._" I could feel the bitterness rolling off of her, but paid it no mind.

Solitude and I were even more shocked when Impassive put away his knife and slowly walked towards Jane, his hands outstretched like he was approaching a wounded animal. Caught off guard, Jane whipped out her own knife and held it expertly pointed at him. Impassive stopped, but still held his hands up. "Jane, something is coming," he said quietly. "Something big. You called our boss the king of the creepypasta realm. Well, this thing? It's got Slender on edge. That's how big this thing is. So please, just hear us out, alright? Put your knife away. We don't want to hurt you."

I watched closely to see what she was going to do. Indeed, the young woman appeared to hesitate, unsure of what to do. After a few moments, though, she appeared to take his advice and relaxed, though she still held onto her weapon. "Fine. What do you want?"

With Solitude translating, I recounted our visit to Ickbarr and his advice, and explained in detail the voices I had heard, ending with my wish to do as the creature said and gather my allies about me, just in case. When I was finished, Jane let out a low whistle. "Wow. You weren't kidding. If Fat Ickbarr's worried, this is serious."

I held out my hand in what I hoped was a friendly gesture. With some difficulty, I asked, "...Friend? Or...foe...?"

Despite the emotionless mask that adorned her face, I could sense her reluctance. "How will I contact you, though? Or you me? I'd rather not have to bump off some folks just to talk."

Solitude picked up a stick lying on the road and in the gravel drew a circle with a large "X" in the middle. Jane gasped slightly. "Isn't that-"

"The Operator symbol, yeah." He dusted off his jeans. "Contrary to popular belief, it's not a protective thing. Well, I guess it kind of is - we use it when we need to get a hold of Slender. A few years back some idiot humans discovered it and became obsessed with the idea that it would hide them from Slender." He chuckled, while I simply stood there. The memories he was bringing back were unpleasant and embarrassing. "Drove him nuts. Couldn't even rest two minutes without 'em drawing it and attracting him. Good thing that's put to rest though."

"Ask...again..." I whispered, hand once again held out. "Friend...or...foe...?"

This time, Jane Everlasting grasped my hand in hers. Without hesitating, she replied, "Friend."

High atop the old shoe factory, a creature watched the beings end their meeting, the three going one way, the one going another. It gnawed on one of its long claws, grateful to have something to report to its new master. It whimpered at the memory of its last beating, still fresh in its mind and on its back. The creature had failed to find out why Slenderman was meeting with Ickbarr, and paid dearly for it.

With a low growl, the creature leapt from rooftop to rooftop, its eyes reflecting the moonlight as it disappeared into the night.


	8. Chapter 5 Part 1

**I would like to note that most of these characters mentioned are not mine (i.e. Slenderman, Ticci Toby, and the likes), even though later on I may add a few of my own.**

**Uploads of the chapters will be sporadic due to my schedule.**

**The category isn't exactly right - I couldn't figure out what category to put it in.**

**Please comment on the story. Thank you! **

**Bitte äußern Sie sich über die Geschichte. Danke!**

**Por favor, comentar la noticia. ¡Gracias!**

**Veuillez commenter l'histoire. Merci!**

5. _**Dr. Smiley**_

An hour after Clockwork had left to go bait Seedeater, I had finally finished cleaning up the remains of the surgery. The young woman's suggestion of Slenderman had stayed on my mind, however, and instead of discarding the body in my usual manner I instead bundled it up neatly into some plastic bags. I knew a particular person who might be able to use it.

Hefting the body into the back of my truck, I patted the side of my vehicle lovingly before climbing into the driver's seat. This truck had serviced me faithfully in my clean-up, and I wouldn't part with it for the world. Putting it into drive, I sped away from my home.

During my drive, I briefly wondered whether or not I should have left Clockwork a message, in case she came back. Pulling up to a red light, I withdrew my phone and sent her a brief text explaining that I would be gone for a few hours, but not to worry. What? Not all of us live in the dark ages.

Finally, I arrived at my destination - a thick grove of trees that had a deer trail leading into its heart. Shutting off my truck, I pulled the bag out and headed for the trail. Within minutes, I reached the end of the trail, which came out into a cemetery. I didn't need to look at the headstones to know that these belonged to children.

Dropping the end of the plastic bag, I wiped the thin layer of sweat off of my brow and made my way towards the centre of the graveyard. "Oh Mr. Widemouth," I called softly. "I have need of your assistance."

A faint rustling behind me, along with a noticeable drop in the temperature, alerted me to a new arrival. Smiling faintly, I turned around to see a small, gremlin-like creature surrounded by transparent, unsmiling children. The gremlin, his mouth stretching from one side of his head to the other, waddled forward while the children stayed back, watching us grimly.

"Doctor Smiley! What a pleasure! I don't believe we've met." The creature grinned widely, revealing his sharp teeth, and held out a hand. I shook it politely, revealing sharp teeth of my own. Two could play at this game.

"The pleasure's all mine, Mr. Widemouth. How are the children coming along?"

Some of Mr. Widemouth's false good humor vanished. "I'm afraid I haven't been as successful as I once was. The children just aren't playing anymore, you see. They've become too...shall we say...smart to be lured in by my usual traps."

I grimaced in sympathy. "I am sorry to hear about that. A shame, truly. Almost makes one yearn for the good old days, no?"

He nodded mournfully. "Indeed. Now, what can I do for you?"

I smiled again. "Ah, yes. You see, I recently had a surgery that wasn't very...successful." I gestured to the bag, which a few children had surrounded curiously. Upon hearing my words, though, they retreated from it as if it contained the worst pestilence of the galaxy. "I was, however, hoping to give it to the Harvester in exchange for a favour."

Mr. Widemouth tilted his head. "No one can use my tunnels without a price, you know. And as it appears that you cannot pay, well..."

A smirk flitted across my lips. "Not at the moment, no. But what if I told you I could pay you back tenfold? With children-" I leaned down so that we were almost eye-to-eye. "-from across the veil."

Mr. Widemouth laughed loudly. I could see down his throat. "Impossible! You can't bring humans from the other world to here! It's never been done before!"

I didn't let his outburst disturb me. Once he had finished laughing, I replied, "I never said we would bring the children here - though that in of itself isn't as impossible as you make it out to be."

The gremlin peered at me in wary bemusement. "Crossing the veil takes a lot of energy, and even then we're only nightmares and ideas. There's no way you have enough energy to physically manifest there, much less bring one back."

My phone buzzed. Withdrawing it from my pocket, I smiled widely. "Would you like proof?" The text Clockwork had sent me said,

_**Ok. Have bait. Not hurt much. Sent pic 2 u.**_

Opening the attachment, I held out my phone for Mr. Widemouth to see. At first he peered at it, unsure of what to make out. As I watched, though, his eyes widened with disbelief. "It- it can't be!"

But it was. There, on my screen, was a picture of Clockwork taking a selfie with Seedeater's bait. It was a young boy, bound to a chair. Everything about him, from his ruddy, tear-streaked face to his torn clothes literally glowed with life. A faint golden aura outlined his body.

Mr. Widemouth drew himself together haughtily. "It's fake!" he declared.

I smiled gently, if a tad maliciously. "My friend, how would we have been able to falsify this? Do you not see the boy's aura, caused by his foreign energy conflicting with the energy of this world? I assure you, this picture is as real as it gets."

A strange moan sounded suddenly, and we both snapped our attention to the cause. One of the children, a small Latina girl, was standing in a manner to suggest she was the one who'd emitted the sound. The other children drifted away from her, leaving the girl out in the open.

Mr. Widemouth smiled slowly, every tooth shown off. He beckoned to the girl to come forward. She drifted over hesitantly. I stood back, studying the wisp. Like all of the children, she was deathly pale, and as her nervousness grew so did her transparency.

"Hello there," the gremlin greeted softly. "Which one are you?"

The girl's eyes were wide. "Mariposa, _Señor_ Widemouth."

"Ah, Mariposa. What a lovely name. Tell me, Mariposa, what happened to cause you to speak out of turn?" Mr. Widemouth's eyes glittered. "And be sure to tell the truth. You know how I feel about lies, Mariposa."

Stammering slightly, Mariposa said, "_L-lo siento, Señor_ Widemouth. I-it was just th-that the others and I r-remember felt something...weird earlier. A-and when the _señor_ here showed the picture, I-I remembered the feeling."

I couldn't help but smirk even as I was filing the information away for further use. It would make sense if the children had sensed something from the other place crossing through the veil, especially since they were not encumbered by their restricting mortal bodies. Ah, me, but this is why I strive to help others embrace death even as I myself study the human body. Some may wonder why I do not embrace death myself and take my life away, but that is because I had something bigger planned.

Meanwhile, Mr. Widemouth was considering this confession of the girl's. Ears slightly cocked, he looked from me to her to me again. "Well, Doctor Smiley, it appears your story has a witness!"

"Oh course, Mr. Widemouth." I fiddled nonchalantly with the side of my jacket. Casually, I lifted it slightly to reveal the razor-sharp scalpel underneath. "I would have been so disappointed if you had continued to insist on the falseness of my claim. Now, about that trip through the tunnels..."

Suddenly the gremlin was all smiles and charm. "Ah, yes yes yes! Well, if you come with me, I shall guide you while some of my children assist in carrying your...Ah..._load_." He snapped two of his fingers, and six children reluctantly materialized, taking hold of the body and heating it up on their shoulders. With the gremlin in the lead, the eight of us headed into an opening that had suddenly materialized in the ground.

To my surprise, it did not take long to reach my destination. Mr. Widemouth waddled up to a stone door and, placing his hand on it, spoke briefly before standing back. Letting out a creak reminiscent of a tree swaying in the wind, the stone door swung back to reveal a large, slightly bloody room. The smell of raw meat filled the tunnels and I took a deep breath in. I loved the sweet, sweet aroma of death.

The gremlin bowed deeply. "Your destination, my kind sir. Now, about that fee..."

I shouldered the body from the children, who looked glad to have gotten rid of it. "I promise you, Mr. Widemouth, that once everything is in the necessary order you shall have first pick of all of the children you want." This was a lie, of course - Clockwork and I intended to obtain most of the otherworlders for a special friend of ours, picking up the scraps as needed, but the gremlin didn't need to know that.

Whether it was my winning smile or the "sincere" tone of my voice (or merely the blinding greed and gluttony he was having), Mr. Widemouth didn't say anything, instead opting to bow again before gesturing for me to go. Stepping through the doorway, I turned back and came face-to-face with a freezer door. Shrugging, I gently set the body down and walked up to a table that looked like it functioned as both a counter and a chopping block. I noticed a bell on the side and hit it twice. The two sharp dings resulted in the sound of someone heavy walking near, along with a bellowed "Coming!"

Through the door directly in front came a massive human being. He wore a bloodstained white apron, along with black rubber boots and gloves. His round face was jolly, and his watery eyes sparkled with intelligence. In fact, had I not known who he really was, I would have assumed he was just another butcher - and not the Harvester.

Butcher by day, Harvester by night, Johann Schloggeheim was known as the best place to get your meat - whether the meat be pig or people. For his darker customers, Schloggeheim also sold all sorts of human bones and other body things as well.

Johann held out his arms, a broad grin on his face. "Doctor Smiley!" he cried. "It has been such a long time! How are you, my friend? How can I help you, eh?"

I smiled back at him. The Harvester and I went way back. "I am fine, old friend. I apologize for such the long absence; until recently it has been difficult to pay Mr. Widemouth's fee." I gestured to the bag behind me. "I do, however, have a little gift for you."

Johann scooped up the bag and set it on the counter. Opening it up, he took a deep whiff. "Ah, middle-aged woman, freshly dead, alcoholic. Preferred dry red wine." He winked at me. "This gift is much appreciated, Smiley. I had been getting low on good alcoholic meat. Too many are drinking with friends nowadays, and it has been getting harder to catch them."

"Do not worry, old friend. Soon we shall be living in the good old days once again."

The Harvester stopped his inspection to give me a curious look. "What do you have planned?"

I tapped the side of my nose in a conspiratorial manner. "If only I could spill - the plan, however, is very secret, and we must be careful about who we speak to." The man looked hurt at the very suggestion that I might not trust him, so I quickly added, "Nonetheless, we need you. Or rather, we need your little friend."

Johann simply eyed me impassively. I held my breath, waiting. Finally, he let out a sigh and gestured for me to follow. "Bah, perhaps I should not want to know if it is that secretive, yes? Come, follow me - my creature is right this way."

He opened a door to our right, which led down a dark stairway. Following closely behind, we both walked for about 30 steps before coming out into a dimly lit basement. A low growl rose up from one of the dark corners, but Johann simply let out a sharp whistle. "_Tier! Kommen!_"

With a rattling of chains, a creature that looked like it had crawled out of the pits of Hell walked towards us, its lips drawn back in a snarl. Letting out a booming laugh, Johann pulled an arm from his apron pocket and tossed it to the creature. As if a switch had flipped, the creature went from attack mode to playful-pup mode, pouncing on the arm with gusto and tearing into it happily. As it ate the creature occasionally made content whining noises. The iron collar around its neck clanked noisily.

Turning to me, the Harvester asked, "Now, how long will you need the Rake for? It can't be too long, now, otherwise he gets homesick."

I paused, thinking. "No more than two weeks, tops."

"Good, good. Now, he primarily responds to German, but I've been training him to understand English, too. Once we get upstairs I will give you his special treats - he likes Italian, though Mexican seems to do well with him too."

The Rake, finished with its meal, hobbled over on its knuckles. Letting out a whine, it asked, "_Mein Meister, mein lieber Meister. Haben Sie mehr?_" A black tongue darted across its reddened lips. The Harvester bent down and patted its head.

"_Jetzt nicht. Du wirst heute mit einem Freund. Es wird nicht sein lange._" Pulling on the chain a bit, he uncooked it and handed it to me. The Rake looked at me, curiously, before accepting me as a friend. I squatted down to eye level.

"Hello, there. I need you to keep an eye on someone for me. Do you think you can do that?"


	9. A Call for Literary Assistance

_**Calling All Writers/Readers of CotN**_

**I hate to admit this, but as of late my muse for the story this far has run out. From what I can tell, this is due in part to the fact that I can't decide whose perspective I want to write from. **

**As a reader of this story, I implore you to leave your suggestion and why in a comment below. Otherwise, I am afraid this story will begin to gather dust (if it hasn't already), and I feel that it deserves better.**

**Thank you all,**

**~Ibby**


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